Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF), an umbrella body of 180 civil society organisations (CSOs), has described the new petroleum pump price and the hike in electricity tariff as a draconian federal government policy purposefully introduced to make life difficult for the common man.
Speaking at a press conference in Kano Monday, KCSF president, Malam Ibrahim Waiya, also expressed the resolve of the Forum to support any move aimed at resisting the fuel pump price increase and the hike in electricity tariff, even if it means mobilising members of the CSOs to protest in the streets.
He wondered why recently, the federal government for the second time, introduced new price regime for the electricity tariff and the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) which stood at N151.56 and which came into effect on September 1, 2020 on reasons advanced by the federal government that COVID-19 has led to a severe down turn in the funds available to finance the budget, hence, its decision for the increase.
He said: “For electricity, the result of consultation with stakeholders across the country reveals a total rejection on rise of any form in electricity tariff. In both instances, there has been public outcry on the increment in prices in the midst of COVID-19, but government remained insensitive to the plight of its citizens all over the country.”
“We strongly believe that such increase would further worsen the already deteriorating living condition of the common man. Government should be looking at giving palliatives to its citizens to cushion the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In View Of The Issues We Have Just Raised Here, We Are Calling For the immediate reversal of the new price regimes, for both electricity and the PMS respectively. Government should focus its energy on reducing cost of governance, blocking all leakages, and enhancing its revenue sources. In the event such issue came up, government should allow a participatory and all inclusive negotiation process to prevail,” he stated.
“Finally, we re-affirmed our commitment to join hands with other Nigerians and to extend our hands of friendship to all partners such as organised labour and many other stakeholders, groups within the 4th estate of the realm in our quest to ensure the attainment of our aforementioned demands.”
